The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-10
He Proves a Difficult Man to
Manage.
HE TEsTIFIEs IN HIS OWN WAY
Bank or Anybody Else
None in the World
Tho Harper Case.


explained to him that he did so to make
good that sum of money sunk by him
in wheat taken from his fathers estate
He explained also how he discounted
Lewis notes at Wiltshire suggestion
and again denied that dollar of the
banks money, or his, went into the
wheat deal. He then told how Wiltshire
and Hopkins followed him to Boman's,
eyes, begged him to let them have more
shire that morning. Hopkins sug-
gested telegraehing to the bank in
Chicago TO see how much they
would take to carry the deal through.
Hopkins sent such telegram to the
American Exchange Bank, Chicago.
When witness returned from dinner, he
found the telegram on his desk from
that bank, saying, if Wiltshire was there
next morning with 100000, it would be
safe. That was where KerShaW u Com
pany had their account. He told how
Wiltshire, Hopkins and he talked the
matter over, and decided that they
would save the bank. Hopkins had a
letter of credit drawn for $500, COO, ana
four drafts on the Chemical Bank, Of
New York, for 100000 Wiltshire was
afraid to carry the money, lest it be at
tached, and is was arranged that Gahr
should go with him. Gahr was in
structed not to give up the money with
out a guarantee. Next morning, he
repeated this warning by telegram, and
was answered that it was too late. He
then stopped payment on the drafts.
Harper's manner on the stand
showed what a difficult man he has
been for his attorney to manage. He
took the jury into his confidence, and
talked to them with the purpose of
convincing them, but all the time was
transgressing the rules of evidence, as
explained 10 him by Judge Jack
son. He testified dozen times
to occurrences which he did not
witness. Every question furnished
a new opportunity to him to say what
his intentions were. 1t seemed like
presumption, after Harper's sweeping
denial, that he had ever, in any way
ordered Wiltshire to buy wheat for him
in Chicago or elsewhere, for his counsel
to hand him the three notes bearing the
initials. o. K, E. L.. H., and asking him
to explain them. Harper said that
when Wiltshire, in March, still owed the
bank and him those large sums, he in
sisted on his selling out his wheat, so
as to pay his debts. Wiltshire
said to do so fairly he should
buy wheat that day to keep un
the market, and then he could sell
out to advantage next day.
HE asked my advice" said Harper
'snd said to him, make out your or
low m Ir1u NH oil
right, I'll o. K. it. Mr.. Wiltshire sent
to the bank this note, that he was going
to buy that day 10000 bushels of
wheat. 10. KID it. 1t was no act or
account of mine, in any shape or form.
The books of the bank viii show, l
think, that he paid the bank a consid-
cradle amount of money the next day.
had no purpose whatever in this
transaction, except to get the money for
the bank that was owing to it by Will
shire"
The second note was in cipher,
and Harper said it related to
the same sort of transaction. The
third note he explained by saying that
Wiltshire told him he had to pay for
lot of wheat May LIST. He wanted me-"
said Harper, Ito furnish money for
this purpose, and 1 refused. He said l
would be sorry. l advised him to sell
May wheat and buy June AMI pay the
difference. He asked me TO write a
memorandum of telegram to that effect,
saying: Please change that May
wheat. 1 have not provided for the
June and July; my principal has de-
cided,' etc. Mr.. Wiltshire represented
to me that he was buying largely for
Cleveland parties and that is what
supposed he referred to in the word my
principal
The witness then asked permission to
explain the check of Wiltshire, of $40
600, in October, but was stopped by the
court. He was then asked if it was
given for the wheat deal. He answered,
no; that it was given to pay bonds
which Wiltshire had hypothecated
without authority. Here the Court
again stopped him, and cautioned him
to answer the questions, and not go
into irrelevant matters. but he again
told that Wiltshire had gone ID Cleve-
land to get help frorr-his friends.
He became affected at this point and
went on to say how he put all his
money into the bank to save itAonly to
see other directors walk in and check
theirs out. Only zimmerman, of all
the ulISCGOISy bASISQ duy aSSlSGaDCG.
Then the government came in and the
end was reached.
Counsel next asked in detail whether
he had ever ordered any wheat trans
action with various brokers in Chicago.
naming them, and he returned the
same answer. In February, 1887, he
had a conversation with Hopkins about
the Irwin, Green & Co., matter, and
told him he thought it was dishonest.
About the $685., 900 transaction
with the Fidelity Bank, he had
no knowledge whatever, until told
OF it in jail at Dayton. Hopkins
had sonae transactions through Hoyt,
with KershAw & Co and he was trying
to hedge against our losses by VIII
shire. L loaned money to Hopkin's"
-. %',resS. land payed drafts for
II, !, -: -ay own money, AID
never took a PENN out OF the BANKS
funds for this purpose. Hopkins went
in S5e 900 with another broker. and I